Self-propelled sprinkler

ABSTRACT

A self-propelled sprinkler is provided which comprises a fixed hollow shaft stationarily fixed with respect to a liquid feed pipe, the shaft communicating with the liquid feed pipe. The driving rotary sleeve, with a driving nozzle thereon is rotatably mounted on the fixed hollow shaft and a driven rotary sleeve with at least one sprinkling nozzle thereon is rotatably mounted on the fixed hollow shaft. The driving nozzle and sprinkling nozzle are adapted to receive a liquid which is fed into the fixed hollow shaft from the liquid feed pipe and to spout the liquid therefrom. A sun and planet speed reduction gear mechanism transmits the reduced rotational speed of the driving nozzle to the driven nozzle.

United States Patent Takatani Oct. 1, 1974 1 SELF-PROPELLED SPRINKLER[75] Inventor: Hirokazu Takatani, Amagasaki,

[21] Appl. No.: 354,896

[52] U.S. Cl. 239/252 [51] Int. Cl BOSb 3/02 [58] Field of Search239/246, 251, 252, 256, 239/263 [56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 1,575,952 3/1926 Todd et al. 239/251 X 1,950,712 3/1934 Coles eta1. 239/252 1,965,912 7/1934 Strawn 239/251 X 2,108,787 2/1938 Coles eta1. 239/252 X 3,464,632 9/1969 Bristow 239/263 X FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 514,453 12/1930 Germany 239/246 Primary Examiner-Lloyd L.King Assistant Examiner-Andres Kashnikow Attorney, Agent, orFirm-Armstrong, Nikaido & Wegner A self-propelled sprinkler is providedwhich comprises a fixed hollow shaft stationarily fixed with respect toa liquid feed pipe, the shaft communicating with the liquid feed pipe.The driving rotary sleeve, with a driving nozzle thereon is rotatablymounted on the fixed hollow shaft and a driven rotary sleeve with atleast one sprinkling nozzle thereon is rotatably mounted on the fixedhollow shaft. The driving nozzle and sprinkling nozzle are adapted toreceive a liquid which is fed into the fixed hollow shaft from theliquid feed pipe and to spout the liquid therefrom. A sun and planetspeed reduction gear mechanism transmits the reduced rotational speed ofthe driving nozzle to the driven nozzle.

ABSTRACT 1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures The present invention relates to aself-propelled sprinkler having a sprinkling nozzle.

There has heretofore been known a self-propelled sprinkler of the typein which a repulsive or reaction force exerted by a liquid jet or sprayissuing from a sprinkling nozzle is directly utilized to propel orrotate said sprinkling nozzle. With this knowntype, however, since saidnozzle is rotated at a high speed by the repulsive force of the liquidjet, the range, or the horizontal distance through which the liquid jetor spray issuing from the sprinkler flies, is short. Thus there has beena disadvantage of the sprinkled area being very small.

There has been known another type of self-propelled sprinkler in which areaction blade is mounted for rotation with the sprinkling nozzle. Thereaction blade is normally spring-biased in a direction in which thesprinkling nozzle is to be rotated, and the liquid jet issuing from saidsprinkling nozzle is directed against said reaction blade. In operationof this known sprinkler, the liquid jet issuing from said sprinklingnozzle and directed against said reaction blade displaces the latteragainst the force of the biasing spring and compresses it. When theforce of the spring being compressed becomes sufficiently large toovercome the displacing force exerted on the reaction blade by theliquid jet, such reaction blade is pushed back by said spring force,hitting a stay rigidly secured to the sprinkling nozzle, whereby saidstay and hence said sprinkling nozzle are rotated through a certainangular distance. After hitting said stay, the reaction blade isre-displaced by the action of the liquid jet against the force of thespring, to repeat the actions described above. With this known type ofself-propelled sprinkler, it is possible to decrease the rotationalspeed of the sprinkling nozzle by adjusting the ratio of the force ofsaid biasing spring to the force of the liquid jet. However, since thesprinkling nozzle is intermittently rotated by the hitting action ofsaid reaction blade, there is a disadvantage of the unevenness of thesprinkling being caused.

The present invention has been accomplished in view of saiddisadvantages of the conventional self-propelled sprinklers, and has forits object the provision of a selfpropelled sprinkler wherein therotational speed of the sprinkling nozzle is low, and the rotation ofthe sprinkling nozzle is smooth and continuous, and therefore, thesprinkling is evenly effected.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which;

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an embodiment in accordancewith the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line Il-ll of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, shown at 1 is a liquid feed pipe connected toa source of liquid under pressure (not shown) to be sprinkled. Theliquid may be insecticide, sterilizer or other agricultural chemicals orfertilizer, though not limited to these. The liquid feed pipe has atapered internal thread cut in the upper end opening therein andreceives a connection pipe 2 having a complemental external thread cutin the lower portion thereof. In threadedly fitting together theinternal thread of the liquid feed pipe 1 and the external thread of theconnection pipe 2, a sealing tape will be wrapped around the externalthread of the connection pipe 2 which is then screwed into the innerthread, thereby providing a seal therebetween which is effective toprevent leakage of liquid through this thread connection.

The connection pipe 2 has a passageway 3 having an enlarged upperportion which is internally threaded for threaded engagement with anexternal thread cut in the lower portion of a hollow shaft 4. A packing5 of suitable material prevents leakage of the liquid through thethreaded connection between the connection pipe 2 and the hollow shaft4. Thus, the liquid pipe 1, connection pipe 2 and hollow shaft 4 form aunitary stationary assembly.

A driven rotary sleeve 6 is rotatably'mounted on the upper portion ofthe fixed hollow shaft 4 through 0- rings 7,7. The top end of the fixedhollow shaft 4 is formed with a projection 8 which projects upwardlytherefrom. On the other hand, the top wall of the driven rotary sleeve 6is formed] with an opening 9 through which said projection 8 extendsloosely. The portion of said projection 8 which extends outside saidopening 9 is formed with a peripheral groove 10 to receive a snap ring11 therein, thereby preventing the driven rotary sleeve 6 from upwardlyslipping off.

The driven rotary sleeve 6 is provided with nozzle securing pipes 12 and13, each securing pipe having an external thread cut in the front endportion thereof. A sprinkling nozzle 14 is secured to the externalthread of the securing pipe 12. To this end, the securing end of thenozzle 14 is formed with an internal thread for threaded engagement withthe external thread of the securing pipe 12. Shown at 15 is a gasketwhereby when the nozzle 14 is threadedly secured over the securing pipe12, leakage of the liquid through the threaded connection is prevented.The front end portion of the passageway 16 in the securing pipe 13 isenlarged, and fitted in the enlarged portion is a member 17 adapted toimpart a spiral motion to the liquid passing therethrough. Since suchmember is well known to those skilled in the art, a detailed descriptionthereof will be omitted. The front end of the securing pipe 13 is formedwith an external thread, and another sprin kling nozzle 18 is secured tothe securing pipe 13 by means of a cap nut 19 threadedly fitted oversaid external thread. A gasket 20 is interposed between the securingpipe 13 and the sprinkling nozzle 18 to prevent the leakage of theliquid therethrough.

A driving rotary sleeve 21 is mounted between the flange 23 of the fixedhollow shaft 4 and the connection pipe 2 by means of O-rings 22,22 insuch a manner that it is rotatable with respect to the fixed hollowshaft 4. The driving rotary sleeve 21 is provided with a liquidconducting pipe 24 which projects radially outwardly therefrom. Theliquid conducting pipe 24 is provided at the front end thereof with adriving nozzle 25 which spouts a liquid jet or spray tangentially to thecircular path of rotation of said front end. Shown at 26 is a supportarm projecting radially outwardly from said driving rotary sleeve 21above said liquid conducting pipe 24 to support a planetary gearcomprised in a sun-andplanet speed reduction gear mechanism to bedescribed below.

The sun-and-planet speed reduction gear mechanism is designatedgenerally by 27 and comprises a sun gear 28 rigidly secured to the fixedhollow shaft 4, a first planetary gear 29 meshing with said sun gear, asecond planetary gear 30 adapted to rotate: integrally with saidplanetary gear 29, and a gear 31 fixed to said driven rotary sleeve 6and meshing with said second planetary gear 30. Said first and secondplanetary gears 29 and are fixed to a support shaft 32, which isrotatably mounted in a bearing 33 formed at the front end of saidsupport arm 26. In addition, in order to prevent the support shaft 32from slipping off from the bearing 33, the lower end of the supportshaft 32 is formed with a groove 34 in which a snap ring is fitted.

The fixed hollow shaft 4 is formed with openings 36 circumferentiallyevenly spaced apart from each other and opposed to the inlet openings ofthe nozzle securing pipes 12 and 13 of the fixed hollow shaft 4.Similarly, openings 37 are formed in said fixed hollow shaft 4 opposingto the inlet of said liquid conducting pipe 24 The operation of theself-propelled sprinkler will now be described.

When a liquid under pressure is fed into the liquid feed pipe 1 in thedirection of arrow 38, it flows into the fixed hollow shaft 4 throughthe connection pipe 2. A part of the liquid which has flowed into thefixed hollow shaft 4 flows into an annular space 39 defined around theouter periphery of the fixed hollow shaft 4 via the openings 37, theninto the liquid conducting pipe 24 and is finally spouted from thedriving nozzle 25 in the form of a jet or spray. Further, the remainderof the liquid which has flowed into the fixed hollow shaft 4 flows intoanother annular space defined around the outer periphery of the fixedhollow shaft 4 via the openings 36, then into the nozzles 14 and 18 viathe securing pipes 12 and 13, respectively, and finally spouted fromsaid nozzles 14 and 18 in the form of a jet and spray, respectively. Theleakage of the liquid flowing into the annular spaces 39 and 40 isprevented by the O-rings 22,22 and 7,7 positioned at the upper and lowersides of the openings 37 and 36, respectively.

The repulsive force resulting from the liquid being spouted from thedriving nozzle 25 causes the liquid conducting pipe 24 and hence thesupport arm 26 to be rotated around the axis of the fixed shaft 4. As aresult, the first planetary gear 29 is rotated around its own axis whilebeing revolved around the stationary sun gear 28. Thus, the secondplanetary gear 30 is also rotated around its own axis while beingrevolved around the gear 31. Thus, the gear 31 is rotated at asubstantially reduced speed in accordance with a well known principle ofthe sun-and-planet speed reduction gear mechamsm.

As described above, according to the present invention, since thesprinkling nozzles 14 and 18 are continuously rotated at a low speed,there is no unevenness of sprinkling and there can be obtained a desiredrange through which the jet or spray flies from these sprinklingnozzles.

While there has been shown and described a preferred embodiment of theinvention, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that changesand modifications may be made as desired or needed without departingfrom the scope of the invention specified in the appended claims, andthe terms, phrases, etc. appearing in the specification should beinterpreted in the broadest meaning. For instance, the term sprinklingnozzle should be interpreted to cover both of a nozzle which is adaptedto spout a solid jet and a nozzle which is adapted to spout a spray.

In the embodiment herein disclosed, one such solid jet nozzle 14 and onesuch spray nozzle 18 are provided. However, it should be understood thatthe present invention contemplate also the provision of only the solidjet nozzle 14 or the spray nozzle 18, the replacement of the spraynozzle 18 by another solid jet nozzle, and vice versa, and the provisionof solid jet nozzle and spray nozzle in any combination as desired.

What is claimed is:

l. A self-propelled sprinkler comprising in combination: a fixed hollowshaft stationarily fixed with respect to a liquid feed pipe andcommunicating with said liq uid feed pipe; a driving rotary sleeve, witha driving nozzle thereon, rotatably mounted on said fixed hollow shaft;a driven rotary sleeve with at least one sprinkler nozzle thereon,rotatably mounted on said fixed hollow shaft; said driving'nozzle andsprinkling nozzle being adapted respectively to receive from said fixedhollow shaft a liquid which has been fed into said fixed hollow shaftfrom said liquid feed pipe and to spout the received liquid; a sun andplanet speed reduction gear mechanism for transmitting the reducedrotational speed of said driving rotary sleeve to said driven rotarysleeve; said sun and planet speed reduction gear mechanism comprising asun gear fixedly mounted on said fixed hollow shaft, a first planetarygear meshing with said sun gear, a secondary planetary gear adapted tobe rotated integrally with said first planetary gear, a gear fixedlymounted on said driven rotary sleeve and meshing with said secondplanetary gear, said first and second planetary gears being rotatablysupported on a support arm projecting outwardly from said driving rotarysleeve.

1. A self-propelled sprinkler comprising in combination: a fixed hollowshaft stationarily fixed with respect to a liquid feed pipe andcommunicating with said liquid feed pipe; a driving rotary sleeve, witha driving nozzle thereon, rotatably mounted on said fixed hollow shaft;a driven rotary sleeve with at least one sprinkler nozzle thereon,rotatably mounted on said fixed hollow shaft; said driving nozzle andsprinkling nozzle being adapted respectively to receive from said fixedhollow shaft a liquid which has been fed into said fixed hollow shaftfrom said liquid feed pipe and to spout the received liquid; a sun andplanet speed reduction gear mechanism for transmitting the reducedrotational speed of said driving rotary sleeve to said driven rotarysleeve; said sun and planet speed reduction gear mechanism comprising asun gear fixedly mounted on said fixed hollow shaft, a first planetarygear meshing with said sun gear, a secondary planetary gear adapted tobe rotated integrally with said first planetary gear, a gear fixedlymounted on said driven rotary sleeve and meshing with said secondplanetary gear, said first and second planetary gears being rotatablysupported on a support arm projecting outwardly from said driving rotarysleeve.